Belmark
by blargh228
Summary: A huge vermin horde, with trained vermin, mounts a huge attack on Salamandastron and Redwall. New update probably going to be every week at the least.
1. Intro

The Redwallers were going about their usual duties. Friar Halber was baking a large batch of apple tarts for lunch. "Get the cream!" "No, that's too much, take some… there, that's right!" "Stir that up quickly, now!" The Dibbuns were frolicking about outside as a group of molemums snatched one at a time away, unexpectedly, to get bathed. The Abbot was in his study, fulfilling his secondary job as recorder.

_Extract from Recordings of Redwall Abbey_

_What a delightful autumn day! It's nice and cool out, and the sun is shining bright. Those Dibbuns are playing about in the pond again; I can't seem to figure out how they withstand the cold of it on their little footpaws in the fall! Everything appears to be going on normally in our Abbey, and we have received a message from one of the Long Patrol's fastest runners informing us that the Badger Lord, Laris, will be arriving shortly! How exciting! The little flowers that will become apples are wilting after an exceptionally beautiful bloom. In fact, we named last summer the Summer of the Apple Blossoms. Looks like we'll be having a great harvest this year. Oh, I can smell lunch! Time to go!_

_Abbot Trincus,_

_Recorder of Events in Redwall and Mossflower country._


	2. Chapter 1

A surprise meets nearly everyone every day. In the case of the Redwallers, the surprise took form as a nearly dead stoat lying between the ditch and the Abbey. Abbot Trincus the otter, who had been taking his usual morning walk around the walltops, had spotted the fallen stoat in the morning. The Abbot had hurriedly alerted the rest of the Redwallers, and they all crowded on the walltops as the Infirmary keeper, Brother Almer, and the Abbot walked out to the badly injured stoat. Brother Almer was a nice mouse, and he was friends with just about everybeast, but when it came to vermin, he had no worse hate. Just going to treat the stoat made him feel extremely uneasy. As the pair approached, they could hear the stoat muttering, "Redwall Abbey… treasure… shining, bright… glimmering… water…." As Almer inspected the stoat's many and horrific wounds, the Abbot made vain attempts to talk to the fully unconscious stoat. He beckoned the Cellarhog, Burry, from the walltop. "Will you fetch this creature a drink? She's nearly insane from lack of water." Burry nodded and scurried off to his cellars. After a kerchief full of liquid had been forced down the stoat's throat, she opened her eyes, looked pleadingly at Burry, and said one word before passing out again: "More…." Almer finished his inspection and said grudgingly, "I think she'll make a total recovery if she's treated properly." Trincus saw the look of disgust on Almer's face and told him, "I know your family was killed by vermin, but Redwall's policy is to take care of any hurt or injured beast. Let's get a stretcher."

-:-:-:-:-

Belmark slowly became aware of a throbbing pain racing throughout her body. She opened an eye and examined her surroundings. She was in a small room full of white beds, like the one that she was laying on. There was one door. Bewildered, she stood up and toddled to the entrance. The last things she had remembered were fighting alongside her friends and then being given a deliciously cool drink. Belmark reached out to the door and tried it. The door was locked. Panic suddenly overtook her. She pounded on the door in a frenzy, screaming "LET ME OUT!! I DON'T WANT TO DIE HERE ALL ALONE! HELP!" She sank down the door, sobbing. Without warning, the door slammed open. Belmark found herself pinned against the door. She heard voices coming from behind the door. "The scummy vermin, she must have taken off without so much as a thank you! And I couldn't just seem to find one of my apple tarts I left out to cool on the windowsill. Coincidence?" A mouse and a giant male badger steeped into the room, closing the door behind them. The badger was the first to spot Belmark. "Ha! I've got you, you coward!" he yelled as he shook her relentlessly. Belmark said, "Guhk…" and just passed out in his grasp. The badger flung her to the ground. The mouse, Friar Halber, gasped, "Why did you just do that?" The badger replied in a gruff voice, "This vermin has probably slain more harmless creatures than you've ever seen! She shouldn't even be alive!" Belmark, which had woken up again, stammered, "I-I never h-harmed anybeast, s-sir!" The badger just said, "You're a liar, like the rest of them. I talked it over with the Abbot; you have until dusk to depart. We've packed you supplies to last three days." The giant badger trundled off. Belmark walked out of the room and went down the first stairs she came across. After wandering about on what she took to be the ground floor for about ten minutes, she came across the kitchens. Halber pressed a haversack into Belmark's paws, saying, "Here are your supplies. Hurry off now!" Belmark wandered down another hallway. Redwallers, going about their daily business, gave her a wide berth. She could hear them whispering to each other when she passed. Completely by chance, she blundered into the Abbot's private chambers. She remembered that she had been fully armed when she lost consciousness, and asked, "Where are my weapons and clothes?" The Abbot replied, "Here, let me show you to them." They went down a couple more passages to a storage room, where the Abbot handed the weapons, armor, and robes to her, telling her, "We were going to burn your clothes, but I decided to keep them in case you wanted them later." Belmark decided to fix the multiple rips and tears across her clothes. After finishing that, she donned her customary simple white robes, so she would look less of a warfaring vermin. It was nearly noon. The Abbot appeared in the Infirmary and said, "You can come down for lunch. Just be ready to leave!" Belmark remembered that her friends had managed to escape the giant horde of vermin. Instinctively, she knew that her friends would arrive at Redwall and decided to protest. "Before you found me by the side of the ditch, I was fighting alongside five other creatures: a mouse named Nirt, an otter like yourself named Rung, a mouse named Merett, and two birds, Kreel and Mandor. I want to stay here and wait for them." The Abbot thought for a moment and said, "We'll discuss this with the rest of the Redwallers during lunch." Inwardly, Belmark sighed with relief, knowing that she wouldn't have to face the horrendous vermin horde that had been pursuing her.


	3. Chapter 2

The vermin in question were currently camping out hidden in the ditch by Redwall. Every single one of them was seasoned and trained warriors, unlike the many hordes that had attacked Redwall in seasons long gone. They had suffered heavy losses after they had attacked Belmark's group by the ford. Currently, two of the vermin were staring through lenses at the Abbey. Grung, the smaller of the two, said to his partner, Flang, "Nothin' is goin' on up on dose walls." Flang just replied, "Aw, shaddup and keep on lookin'."

On the opposite side of the Abbey, Nirt, Rung, Merett, Kreel, and Mandor were discussing their plans to attempt to take Belmark from the Abbey, which they took to be a giant vermin outpost. "The problem is," Nirt was saying, "that this giant building appears to be some kind of military fortress. Look at the size and the sturdy architecture! I think we should make a full-on assault to the front gates." All the rest of the band were in agreement with Nirt, as he was one of the most intelligent of the group, second only to Merett. All the rest of the group besides Merett had voiced their opinions, and now it was Merett's turn. "I think that either Kreel or Mandor should make the most silent flyover they can in order to survey this building. Meanwhile, the rest of us should be examining the area around the Abbey. I know, Rung, that you've already proposed this, but I have something to add. We should attempt communication. Have any of you heard about Redwall Abbey?" Two paws and a wing went up. "Well, seeing the red tint of those sandstone blocks makes me think that this might be it. Is anyone in agreement?" Everyone agreed, partially because Merett was a genius and partially because they thought it was a good plan. "Alright then, I want either Kreel or Mandor to attempt a silent flyover. Who wants to do it?" Only Kreel wanted to. He was a giant kite and could glide silently. Mandor was a small sparrow and made a comparatively loud fluttering noise when he flew. Plus, he couldn't see in the dark. Merett said, "Alright then, Kreel, go ahead." Kreel took off with barely a sound.

A few minutes later, Kreel came back with his observations. He told Merett, "This is truly Redwall Abbey. Belmark is in there having lunch with the rest of the creatures. I think we should eat and talk to them only after they've finished."

Meanwhile, in Great Hall, the Redwallers were strongly expressing their disapproval at the idea of letting a stoat stay at the Abbey any longer. Shouts of "Boo!" and "Vermin, coward!" could be heard ringing around the hall. Belmark bowed her head and began quivering. The Abbot silenced them by holding up his paw. "I know that you all don't approve of this idea, but Belmark has behaved herself well during her stay. I see no actual harm in letting her stay for a while…" Belmark continued on quivering. She raised her head, and her eyes were a blazing bright blue, instead of brown. She was positively quaking now. Enraged, she yelled, "What do I have to do!? WHY!?" She shook her head, and she looked normal again. The Redwallers saw this and were quiet for a bit, and then muted words of approval rang around the hall. The Abbot spread his arms, saying, "Then she stays." Belmark was extremely happy that the Redwallers had accepted her. But one creature did not agree. Brother Almer, the Infirmary keeper, had refused to treat her directly. Now, examining her, he noted that Belmark didn't look like a menace, like most vermin. Her fur was fluffed and tinted a red ochre color, with white spots directly over each eye. He found her more like a peaceful woodland creature than a fighting vermin. Nevertheless, he told himself, she is vermin, and she does have weapons. The giant male badger sat down next to Almer, noting the downcast look on his face. He said, "Almer, I feel the same way, but what has she done? She is kind and acts honest." Brother Almer looked up and responded, "I know, Laris, but she is still vermin. I just don't know…"

Belmark's group finished lunch. They all crept up to the east wall. Rung called out, "Hello? Is anybeast there?" There was no answer. Mandor decided he would fly in and tell them of the group waiting outside. He took off and flew into the Abbey walls.

Skipper of otters was the first to spot the sparrow outside. He said quickly, "Hide the Dibbuns; it looks like we've visitors!" Great Hall became a scene of confusion as Dibbuns wailed, mothers ushered, and fighters prepared their weapons. In ten minutes, the otters and shrews marched out to meet the newcomer. Among them was Belmark. When she saw that it was Mandor, she rushed over and gave the sparrow a hearty embrace. "Is anyone else hurt, did anyone get captured by the vermin?" Mandor replied, "None but you, thankfully!" Belmark collapsed with sheer relief. Skipper called down to Belmark's group, camped on the east side, near the woodlands, "Come on around to the main gates, we'll open them for you!" /Belmark's group went around the Abbey to the front. The Redwallers pushed the gates open, and disaster struck.

In the vermin camp in the ditch, Grung called out to his captain, "We saw them Redwallers open the gates for that confounded bunch. Should we charge them?" Their captain, Holger, was a highly intelligent, yet scrawny, rat. He decided to take the chance. The vermin horde, five thousand strong, was a sight to behold. Countless rats, weasels, stoats, and foxes stood to attention in uniform. Holger strode out to the front and called to the Redwallers, "We are the land division of the Great Horde! Keep those gates open or die!" His archers pulled back their strings. Skipper yelled back, "Never!" In an instant, the first battle was on. Belmark's group was safely inside and the gates were closing fast when the vermin horde reached them. The Redwallers were stuck in a life-or-death push of war with the gates half open. The archers were wildly attempting to fire into the gates, but couldn't because of all the vermin in the way. Nobody bothered to look up, where five moles were heaving a boiling cauldron of oil up the battlements. The oil poured in a steaming cascade as rats and weasels flung themselves everywhere. Without resistance, the door was closed in an instant. To top it off, the moles flung the cauldron down at the horde, crushing a few. The Redwallers had won the first battle.


	4. Chapter 3

Things at Salamandastron were no better. During the last night, the sea division of the Great Horde of vermin had surrounded the mountain. A small group had ascended the mountain and crept in through the crater on top. They had captured a young female badger, Starshine, and a great boxing hare, Colonel Right. The pair was currently looped to a rock. "When do you think they'll let us go?" Starshine was a small, nervous little badger. Right responded by saying, "Always take precautions… Heheh!" He unwound a long wire from one of his bootlaces. "A wire saw. Always keep one with me, I have no idea why." He sawed the rope clean through with two pulls. Right quickly hid the rope ends behind his back so it looked like they were still tied up. "What's the plan?" he inquired. Starshine thought for a moment, then stood up and ran behind another rock. Right decided to follow. He found himself right at the edge of the vermin camp. Starshine was preparing to bolt away. Right held her back, saying, "Look before you leap!" A weasel had just passed them. Starshine nodded her thanks, and then the two sped off, colliding directly with a ferret. He exclaimed, "Hey, what are youse two doin' off o' your rock?" Right floored him in two punches, but not before the ferret had raised the alarm. The two got up and ran for it, with arrows flying all around them. They reached the top and were immediately shot at three times by their comrades. Thankfully, the shots all missed. The pair called into the crater, "Hey, stop that! We're friendly! Get us in here before the vermin come!!" A group of twenty hares, about to shoot, lowered their bows. Right and Starshine climbed down into the mountain. A fairly easy escape, both of them thought. Then Right's stomach grumbled. "Oh gosh, they starved us the entire time… Where's the tuck, wot?" Everyone just laughed. Then Right became serious and made his report. "We're being flippin' chased by the entire bloomin' camp. Get into the mountain, take down the stairs, hide the weapons, and bolt the doors!" Everybody rushed to do his bidding. Within seconds, the crater was empty. The group of vermin reached the edge and the front few rows were pushed in to fall to their deaths by the momentum of the horde. The next couple of rows all turned and asked their boss simultaneously, "How do we get in there?" The boss scowled. "Do I have t' do all th' thinking 'round here? Jump, idjets, that's how the stripe dog and rabbet made it!" The soldiers knew they would die no matter if they did or didn't, but preferred to die by being crushed than by being skinned alive, whipped, and roasted. They jumped, putting a lot more vermin's lives away.

The land division of the Great Horde had suffered heavy losses. Ratjet, Holger's second-in-command, reported the amounts. "Eight vermin crushed by the cauldron, seventy killed and six score burned. Holger himself had been leading the charge. The cauldron had crushed one of his toes and his back was burnt all over. So Redwall was not full of a bunch of peaceable woodland creatures, he thought. Unlike what the Grand Commander had said. He would just have to think of another plan. As he saw a bird flying out of the Abbey walls, he got it! A grin spread over his face. He would vault in from a platform on the treetops of Mossflower Woods. If well concealed, he plan was foolproof!

Laris had sent out Mandor to try to communicate with Salamandastron, with a message that Redwall needed reinforcements to get rid of a giant vermin horde. Meanwhile, the Redwallers knew the location of Brockhall. The Foremole and his team were thinking of a plan to get to the old oak. They wanted to attempt to dig into it. The problem was the tremendous distance and the likelihood of missing. Merett said, "Why don't you just tunnel in roughly the correct direction so you can pop up close to it? Isn't the entire point just to bypass the vermin?" It was true. All the moles, buried in their calculations, threw up their digging claws and chorused, "Burrhoo! All fur nothing! Burrhoohoo!" Everybody else just laughed.

Mandor's harrowing journey lasted two days. He landed in the Salamandastron crater and immediately went to sleep. Two hares called in the medics, who gave Mandor a place to sleep. Mandor woke up at night, immediately calling out, "I have important news, yes! Laris sends a message." He gave the paper to Colonel Right, who read it and passed it to Starshine. She took one glance and said, "Here, take this message back to Laris. We're stuck here too!" Mandor nodded. "Yes yes, I saw. Lotsa vermins. Help coming soon!" And with that, he took off. Starshine looked at Right. "We're in for a lot of trouble, I can feel it. We have to find a way to get rid of those vermin!"

Belmark was wandering down another hallway when a huge paw covered her mouth. She started wriggling and trying to scream, but to no avail. Another giant paw wrapped around her face and she was yanked up to the level of Laris's face. Belmark stared into his fiery red, bloodshot eyes and knew instinctively that she was going to die. Then Laris spoke. "YOU SHOULD BE DEAD BY RIGHTS!" He shook Belmark once and dropped her. She sat there on the floor, shocked. Then memories began pouring through her mind. Marching in a giant vermin horde. Attacking a farmhouse, setting it afire. Killing two older badgers. One young badger escaping. Fleeing from his Bloodwrath. Being caught and hit by his battleaxe. Battleaxe, she thought. Just like the one Laris has. Then she made the connections. "I-I'm sorry… I didn't… mean… WAAHHAAAAHH! WAAAAAHH!" Belmark sat there, blubbering. Laris, who had recovered from the Bloodwrath, comforted her. "I know you didn't do it out of your own free will. You've changed your ways as well. I forgive you." Belmark looked up. "R-Really? Thanks…" A long silence passed. "I'm really sorry about your parents." Laris repeated, "It's not your fault. I've already obliterated the rest of the horde, except for you." Belmark began inching away. Laris looked and laughed, "I'm not going to hurt you!" Belmark sighed, relieved. "Thanks again. How could I ever repay you?" Just then, Skipper came with the news, "Mandor, that bird! He just landed outside!" Belmark rushed outside. Mandor was reading out his message. "Salamandastron is also under attack. We cannot comply!" Belmark looked up at Laris and saw his eyes beginning to turn red. Laris's huge voice boomed out, "WE LEAVE TOMORROW!!"


End file.
